Queenies Little Kingdom

I’ve had a mad love affair with all things white from the time I was a little girl. I love wearing white! From Prom dresses (my first prom I wore an all lace solid white gown) to my graduation party outfit (a solid white strapless jumper) all the way to my wedding day.

But, I’m from the south and girls raised in the south (GRITS) follow some very strict rules when it comes to wearing white. We don’t play! Seasons are very important when choosing outfits and part of that choosing involves careful consideration of colors. White is a sacred cow amongst the southern fashionista. Nobody wears white all willy-nilly, ever.

Easter Sunday is kick-off day for wearing white shoes and more without fear of someone pointing their finger and whispering fashion no no’s in their sisters ears. I know, I know….white is way more popular and being worn year-round these days. However, I’m old and I stick to the foundational rules on things like this. So, if you’re brave enough to slip your toots into a pair of white shoes before Easter Sunday…..by all means, go ahead fashion diva! I promise, I won’t point.

Oh, who am I kidding….you are so going to be the topic of conversation when you get out of my sight. 🙂 Bless your heart!

Back to today’s Fashion Friday. How could I NOT post about white today? It’s back and it deserves some serious attention. So, let’s get started!

Can we just talk about white jeans? If you are someone who does not own a pair, sweet sassy….let me push you out the door to your car right now. Or just give you some choices to shop online. White jeans are life-changing! They boost your morale and your look like nothing else I know! I think they’re also stylish on just about every body type. As with any jean, it’s all about finding the best fit. So, try try and try as many pairs as it takes to find your style.

CJ by Cookie Johnson $98 at Zappos

I get it that not everyone likes to spend above $40 for jeans, but I have found that buying a designer brand gives you a whole lotta wear and a whole lotta fashion attitude. You’ll look amazing!

DKNY SoHo at Macy’s $49.99 on sale

These are super cute and the sale price even cuter. Remember white jeans are versatile. You can wear them casually or dress them up with a comfy heel. Yes, there are comfy high heels. Search them out, don’t just skip the thought.

I love the brand Born and have a ton of their shoes. They are always my most comfortable shoes. When the new styles come out I usually splurge and buy them. TJ Maxx has Born at a crazy reduced price. Look at these cute darlins!

Leather Pamati Sandal at TJ Maxx $49.99

How about something a lot sassy like these White Snake Print High Heels?

Somewhere out there is a dress JUST for these shoes. Maybe you have it already or are looking for it. These are at TJ Maxx for $39.99 WOW!

Here’s a sweet little something something to go with those sleek shoes.

Sharagano White Mesh at TJ Maxx for $24.99

White Keyhole Dress at TJ Maxx $19.99

I can think of so many ways to wear this simple keyhole dress. It can be worn out shopping, to dinner and even to church. For that price? It’s a must have item!

Jumpers are the thing this year but if you’re a little pudgy…finding one that doesn’t accent your muffin top/spare tire area might be tricky. However, if you are willing to try on a lot of different styles…you could be lucky enough to find one you love. This one is a little flashy but I love it.

Lovers + Friends Star Gazer Jumpsuit $139 at Revolve

Remember my graduation party jumpsuit I told you about? I found this almost exact replica of it except I know my mother didn’t let me pay $126 or $179 for it. Besides, I wore Jelly shoes with it, duh!! Mine was probably less than $30 but it looked so cute! Just like this one.

Everybody needs a boyfriend blazer!!! And why not get one in white? I love wearing them with jeans, dressy pants and even shorts!

Blazer $25

Don’t be intimidated by white! Take a leap of faith and buy a few pieces of white for your new spring wardrobe! You’ll look clean crisp and classy!

Happy Good Friday!

Remember, Sunday’s coming!

My very intense high strung personality does not do me many favors in the world of hiding my emotions. Neither does my Sue Jr (that’s my mama) mouth! I take crap personally! Such a weakness for me. Sadly, all those millions of emotions that I feel throughout the day, stick with me.

In my face!

I bet you’re wondering just what it is that makes me need Botox, aren’t ya? Well, I’ll tell ya.

Stupidity – This isn’t a mean-spirited attempt at picking on anyone in particular. But, other humans who make the decision to blast and go on & on about a topic that they have limited information about….that’s stupidity at its highest.

Bad Drivers – If this is you, perhaps you should stop reading now. I want to make it clear. I love driving. I do it well. Not perfect, but fairly safely and smart-like. When bad drivers pull out, slow down and are undecided WHERE they want to go, my blood pressure goes sky high! I also have a giant dislike for the jerk driver. You know the one, the VIP who zips up on the right when you’re stuck in a line of traffic in the left lane? And he wants to pass you all? Nice. Real nice. I need some Botox just thinking about it! Hrmph!

Swim suit shopping – Shut up, if you’re skinny! Who cares? I’m not. Anymore. So, there’s that.

Truth

Poor service – I’ll begin my rant with a positive thought. It is NOT easy to please people, ever. Customer service jobs are NOT FOR EVERYONE! So, if you are someone who doesn’t like servicing people…rethink your career choice. Also, people who are jerky or mean to service giving employees STOP THAT! I feel really frustrated with paying for a meal out (usually a lot of dollhairs) and getting poor or rude service.

Phone Hogs – Oh, you know who you are. People who are with you but NOT with you because they play on their phones the whole time you’re together. Wow! It’s fun hanging with them, huh?

Look familiar?

Oh and don’t let me skip the cellphone talking shopper that follows you around the store chatting (usually about personal stuff) and laughing out loud! That’s a frowny-face making scenario, honestly. Go away, go to your car…find a spot to sit down and talk if it’s that important. Let people shop without having to listen to your personal conversation. That goes for the bathroom too! Yuck!

Calling a loved one or anyone who has passed away an ANGEL – No, no….no! We do not die and turn into angels. Stop saying that, it’s not possible. Angels are God’s creation. Humans are as well. God made both but didn’t make them the same. Know the difference. And please, don’t teach that to your kids.

P.S. I do believe in angels.

BULLIES – Mean people have never been afraid to pick on others. You don’t have to be a skinny glasses wearing kid anymore to experience cruel or unkind treatment either. The internet has opened up a whole world to the bullies of our society. The best part? They love to do it so that others can see they are really passionate about a subject they disagree with you on and setting you straight in the form of ridicule fuels their egos!

The truth is, they are bullies! And everybody knows….bullies are mean!

Animal cruelty – I’ve learned to skip articles or photos on social media regarding horrible animal cruelty. Not because I want to ignore that it’s happening but because it makes me so sick that I can’t stop dwelling on it. I literally cannot understand HOW A HUMAN BEING CAN TORTURE AND KILL INNOCENT DOMESTIC ANIMALS. I’ll just be honest. You suck!

Jeffrey Dahmer wannabees steer clear of me or any pets around me. I will stick up for innocent animals!

Mom’s who curse at their kids – Look, if you’re frazzled, I get it. But what I don’t get…is why in the heck you have to scream and curse at your little kids in the middle of a store. Seriously Mom! Leave, walk away….find someone to help you out. Stop hurting your kids like that. You’ll never convince me that your heart is okay. Anyone who mistreats their kids by cursing at them is surely physically abusive too.

I know, I could go on and on about all the stuff that makes me scrunch up my face in horror. However, if all I do is think about the stuff that drives me crazy…..I’m giving all my power over and I’m just NOT GOING TO DO THAT! So, I’m going to smile when I encounter trouble and I’m going to laugh when meanness is hurled my way and I’m going to TRUST GOD with my emotions when I really want to whig out.

Because…..Botox is expensive and I like buying STUFF way more than fixing my face! Don’t you?

Today’s post is dedicated to all the mama’s who have been bamboozled into thinking that they have no rights over their children’s lives.

HOGWASH!

I’m smart enough to know there is no perfect formula for raising kids. Not every household shares the same personality makeup and certainly not the same family dynamic. Every family, every home is unique. What works in one house may not work in another right next door.

That’s the beauty of being a family. Each person has the freedom to grow into the special and unique human God created them to be. But, I’m getting a bit off topic because what I want to talk about is the very popular belief that mama’s/parents have lost the authority to be PARENTS to their kids.

From what I’ve observed, the world has bought into the attitude that kids will be kids and there’s not much you can do about it cliche. That’s a bunch of hooey! While there are absolutes in what kids will try and how far they’ll push, the honest truth is….kids are looking for some direction.

I love how far technology has come, don’t you? I mean, who would’ve ever thought we would have access to so much at just our fingertips? As a mom, that’s really scary. Our kids are little geniuses from a really young age and for a lot of us (parents) that’s rather intimidating. Kids are equipped with more knowledge at younger ages than the law should allow. I’m not talking about educational knowledge…..I’m straight up referring to all the stuff of the world.

Last week, Jen Hatmaker (my favorite human on the whole internet world) wrote a few pieces for the Today Show on parenting. I laughed, I screamed and I fell over in my chair with a happy heart at her take on all things parenting. She reminded me just how crazy I used to be (ok, still am) about my kids and how I literally almost killed myself trying to do it all just right. I lived, by the way and so did my 3 little punkins! But, I convinced myself that I had to do many things in order for those 3 little humans to live and be happy.

It was worth it. But, if I had it to do over again…..I would take it a little easier on myself.

After she penned her sweet words about HOW BIG she loved her children, she wrote a post titled What Would My Mom Do? And for any of you darlin’s that grew up in the 70’s-80’s, you MUST READ THIS POST!!! You will most likely be transported back to a time when parenting accomplished exactly what needed to be and weeded out whatever tried to wriggle its way in.

Want to know some of your most important parental rights?

That phone you give your kid…. you have the right to look at it, limit what he or she does on it and take it away ANY TIME YOU WANT!!

Cellphones are dangerous! More and more kids (younger than pre-teens) are being given these devices and parents are turning their heads at all the internet freedoms that come with these smart phones. Guard your kids hearts, it’s your right to protect them from the junk available with just a click.

Laptops, home computers and even tablets are another window into a world that cannot be unseen once it’s discovered. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to invade their “privacy” on those tools. Stop letting them guilt you into thinking you’re just an old fuddy-duddy who just doesn’t trust them or want them to have fun! Of course you are, and you have the sense to know, NO ONE IS PERFECT or trustworthy enough to be cut free on the internet! Especially not a kid!

Who your kids run with (and I don’t mean jogging) is important. Stop allowing them to hang in circles that open them up to stuff your family doesn’t participate in. So many parents give their kids over to bad habits and more all because they don’t want to limit who they make friends with. FOOLISHNESS! Kids are so impressionable! You have the right to direct them to healthy friendships. God has given you a brain and a heart of discernment. If it doesn’t feel right….step in and change it.

Every parent has to make the decision as to what will be acceptable in their family and not. Many are wide open with an attitude of “it’s going to happen one way or another” and others are gripped so tightly that they’re stifling the very breath out of their kids. I don’t think any of us ever know if our methods are working or not (sadly, until it’s too late). I do believe that with lots of practice and tons of support, parents can raise their children to be well-rounded and whole individuals who make society a better place.

It’s time to stop thinking…..you have no rights to your kids lives.

I’m grateful for the freedom that I have to disagree with anyone who doesn’t think or believe the same as me. Aren’t you? I’m an American and by that title alone, I am blessed with the right to live freely and hold dearly to my faith and countless other standards without the worry of death or punishment.

God bless America.

I’m a transplant of sort. I was born and raised in Florida by a family whose roots run deep and wide throughout that great state. My family is what’s known as Crackers. They’ve been there, forever. I, on the other hand….snuck off and raised my family somewhere else, Indiana!

My first house to live in – in the great state of Indiana, was smack dab in the middle of a rural area that was full of cornfields. Matter of fact, when we would drive into town….it was a good idea to LOOK OUT for jumping deer as we meandered up and down, twisting and turning through the many high stalks of corn on the sides of the road. I used to sing as I roared through the corn, songs about cornfields to my kids. When fall would arrive and the harvest begin, life in Indiana made perfect sense to me. I loved every single thing about this new state I found myself in and tried my best to teach that to my kids. I think it worked! My family is rather fond of Indiana!

I can’t claim (oh wait, I’ve lived here 16 years now), I will claim it as my home. I happily consider myself a citizen of the state of Indiana and I refuse to sit by and let the haters scream as loud as they can about how awful and wrong my state is for signing a bill into effect that protects its citizens. Seriously! I am not a person who discriminates against another and neither is my state or governor! The bill that everyone is jumping up and down about is being wholly misrepresented and twisted. That’s what happens though when people get their information from social media and refuse to do their research from a source that is legit.

I have watched as friends, Christians, politicians, companies and even people who may NEVER ever visit my state have stood up and spoken out against the bill and Indiana as being discriminatory. Some of them have even been outright UGLY, to the point of embarrassing behavior. Over a bill that no ones seems to have a total bit of knowledge about, just limited and one-sided information. That’s pretty dangerous, to me.

I’ve thought about it, long and hard and here’s what I think (not that it matters to you, really)….

I love the state of Indiana. I don’t agree with every single thing that happens here, but I probably wouldn’t agree with everything…anywhere I might set up camp. I own a home, I’ve raised 3 of the world’s greatest kids here, I’ve worshiped in some of God’s most amazing churches, my husband has made a great living for our family with jobs in Indiana, we’ve made some of the most wonderful friends while living here, we’ve invested in state colleges for our children and for my hubby in this state, we’ve traveled, stayed and loved every inch of Indiana over the last 16 years and OUR HEARTS BELONG TO INDIANA!

We choose to stay here.

And, we choose to do it with pride.

So, for the haters – I’m really sad to see you feel so negatively about the state of Indiana. It bothers me. Really, it disturbs me. The world is full of hate and when it’s directed at something I love (like, when non-believers pick on Christians) it affects me. I can’t help but feel defensive. Boycotting, screaming untruths all over social media and tv isn’t going to change a single thing. Over the many years I’ve been alive, if I’ve ever learned one great lesson….it is this –>

People will never agree on any one thing, ever. Luckily, for us, we have the freedom to disagree.

I LOVE INDIANA! I will continue to love Indiana and I invite you and anyone that you love to visit this great state and if you run into mean-spirited Hoosiers, don’t judge them as all of Indiana. Note that our world has people of all walks of this life who behave inappropriately and represent themselves in a way that dishonors self and country everywhere. Don’t pin every bad moment on one state. Please?